Spector interview [Begin Tape 1, Side 2] Warren: Now, I know this is a long shot, but you may know nothing about this, but I heard a legend that somewhere, and I think it happened in the twenties sometime, some students hijacked a train. Do you know anything about that? Spector: I heard about it. I don't know, but they went down to east Lexington and took the train and drove it from there to Goshen or something. Warren: Something like that. Spector: I heard about it, too, but I think it happened while I was there, but it was probably during Hell Week or Fancy Dress week or something like that. It happened. Warren: I think it happened while you were there. This one fellow who's a law student now believes that his grandfather was involved in it, or maybe it was his great- grandfather. And his grandfather—gosh, he must have graduated with you. No, he was 1924. He graduated in 1924. And he thinks that his grandfather was involved with it, but he's not sure, you know. It's just sort of this family legend. Spector: I didn't know anybody. I heard about it, though, and it was a big joke. 21 Warren: Well, we can't find anything in the newspapers about it. It seems like that should have been real newsworthy, but Washington and Lee has a way of controlling things, too. Spector: I had nothing to do with it. I know that. Warren: But it does ring a bell with you? Spector: Oh, sure. Absolutely. Now that you mention it, it happened. Warren: What do you remember? Spector: I remember that a couple of guys went down, down to east Lexington, and drove the train, the engine, up to Goshen or something like that. Warren: And did they get thrown out, or what would have happened? Spector: I don't know. Warren: I wonder what they would have done to somebody doing something like that. You don't lie, you don't cheat, you don't steal. Is that considered stealing or is that just a prank? Spector: That was a prank. How are you going to steal an engine? [Laughter] Warren: Well, I think it's a wonderful story, and I sure would like to find out more about it. Spector: You can't find out from me. Warren: And I sure would like to find some pictures of those stills out in Rockbridge County. Wouldn't that be fun, if we could find a photograph of that? Spector: Oh, sure. Warren: I somehow have a feeling that nobody was taking a camera along when they went out there. So what do you think about the future? What should we be thinking about as we approach this 250th anniversary? Spector: Well, I just think just keep doing what you're doing. I mean, I can't find anything to criticize. I can't say Washington and Lee should be doing this or they 22 should be doing that, or they're not doing this and so forth and so on. I was very pleased in the last alumni magazine. There were four articles in there, and the first one was that the Knight-Ridder, who owns Miami Herald, that they awarded Washington and Lee and one other school the journalism grant or something like that. So I know the publisher, Dave Lawrence. There were four articles in there. I thought it was great. The first one was about Knight-Ridder. The other was about the man who got kicked out and gave them eleven million dollars. The third one was the student who went down into South America and was killed by these guerrillas, and the fourth one was that this alumnus was made president of the New York Stock Exchange. So I sent it over to him, and I marked them. I said, "Dave, here are four articles that you might be interested in." He thought it was, too. Well, you know, it's things like that. Incidentally, the unit that I belong to, they started having a reunion about ten or fifteen years ago. I didn't go to it, but when they had the fiftieth, that I had to go, you know. I liked it so much. So that was in Elkhart, Indiana. Next year it was Zenie, Ohio. Last year was in Buloxi. This is the one in Buloxi. Warren: This was a military reunion? Spector: Well, it was my—it was the 118th Signal Radio Intelligence. I served overseas. This is the letter from—I think you might be interested in seeing it. Warren: Oh, that's great. That's great. Well, I expect everybody pays attention to what you have to say around here. Spector: No. No. I thought—in other words, I thought— Warren: But they were interesting articles. I think the magazine is very well done. Spector: I don't think I would have suggested it if the first one didn't refer to the fact that they got the Knight-Ridder, but he's a very, very fine gentleman, very community- minded. Warren: So as far as you're concerned, you think we're doing okay? 23 Spector: I have no criticism whatsoever. I wish I were in better financial circumstances that I could give more, because it's always a pleasure to write that check. Warren: Well, that's very nice. Spector: No. I mean that sincerely. Warren: But we're asking for your ideas at this point. You know, the 250th is a big deal. Spector: And how. Warren: We're only the seventh school in the United States to reach this point. Spector: And how many are going to be there that are going to be ninety-three next year? Warren: I think we're going to have to have a throne for you when you get there. Is there anything more you would like to say? We've gotten through my list, and you probably know things that I didn't know to ask you about. Spector: See, the whole thing is this—my stay there was uneventful. There wasn't anything earth-shattering. You know, we didn't have a war going on, and there wasn't any earthquakes and there wasn't any disasters and so forth, and so it was very, very placid, and nothing seemed to disturb us. We all enjoyed, I enjoyed going to classes. I never cut classes because I was unhappy or anything. And we always looked forward the weekend when we were either taking a trip or get tight, you know, have a little party and so forth and so on. But it was just a pleasant experience, and I enjoyed—as I say, I enjoyed every minute of it, and I felt proud to be accepted. Of course, you didn't even have to—I don't even know whether you had to even—I don't think they had SAT scores in those days. Warren: Nope. Spector: I mean, I just applied to Washington and Lee, and they said, "Come on in." Warren: That's a very modern innovation now. 24 Spector: Right. As a matter of fact, the record association called National Association of Record Merchandising, they have a convention every year and they have scholarships, and I'm on the Scholarship Committee. I read all of these—as a matter of fact, I just finished—we're going to give twenty scholarships this year, and you know what the very disappointing thing is? I've been on it three years, and not a single one of any of the applicants have ever said that they wanted to go to Washington and Lee. Now, I've gone over a hundred—in other words, this year they had two hundred applicants. A man by the name of Mr. Owens, who was formerly a professor of education at the University of Pennsylvania, he goes over them first, and he picks the top hundred. Then there are a group of us, there's about eight of us. Then he sends us the top hundred and says, "Pick out the twenty-five, and then on February 6th, we'll have a— [Tape recorder turned off.] Spector: You didn't have any of these drugs and gangsters and all that stuff. It was just nice guys. Warren: Well, it was a different time, when things were a lot nicer, I think. I want to thank you. This has really been a pleasure. Spector: Well, I thank you. Is there anything I can do for you here? Warren: Well, I've got one more question, but we'll turn the machine off first. [End of interview] 25